Cubes of challah are baked in a richly spiced pumpkin custard to make this dairy-free bread pudding. Perfect for fall gatherings on cool nights.
A few days ago, my mom and I were out shopping for dinner again. As we stood in the bakery section at Whole Foods snacking on bread samples, we kept reaching for more and more pieces of this sweet potato bread. We didn’t buy any… it’s the sort of thing that’s best eaten in the store because it’s far too dangerous to have around the house.
However, that night I went to bed and had a dream about making this dessert with that bread… along with pumpkin puree and coconut milk that I had leftover in my fridge. Now, I realize not everyone will have access to this specific kind of bread, but regular challah bread will work just fine too. This sweet potato bread was similar, just subtly more rich and sweet. The real star here was the creamy maple-pumpkin batter. I was also going to add some pecans for crunch, but I forgot.
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Pumpkin Bread Pudding
- ¾ cup organic canned pumpkin puree (not pumpkin pie filling)
- 1 cup full fat coconut milk
- ½ cup almond milk (or milk substitute of your choice)
- ½ cup maple syrup
- 4 eggs
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- Pinch of nutmeg
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
- 1 loaf challah bread (or similar), cubed (about 5 cups)
- Chopped pecans (optional)
- Powdered sugar
- Ice cream
- Maple syrup
- Maple syrup mixed with melted butter
- A glaze of whisked powdered sugar & a little bit of coconut milk
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the pumpkin, coconut milk, almond milk, maple syrup, eggs, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt. Place the cubed bread in a larger bowl and pour the mixture over the bread pieces. Stir gently, just until it all gets coated.
- Scoop the mix into a greased baking dish or individual ramekins.* If you are using fresh bread, you don’t need to let it sit, you can pop it right into the oven. If you’re using bread that’s a little bit stale, let it sit in the fridge for 30 minutes or a few hours.
- Bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 25-30 minutes or until the top becomes golden brown and the inside starts to set but is still gooey. (The individual ramekins need less baking time than a larger baking dish.)
- Serve with toppings of your choice!
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Look very delicious! I like it! I really want make it now! The instructions in your post really useful with me! Thanks for sharing!
I made this as a dessert for Thanksgiving and the flavor was fantastic, I made it ahead of time and brought it over, it seemed overly soggy, what kind of texture should I look for? do you think I just didn’t bake it enough? I have enough ingredients and am going to try it again.
Stunning photos! I bet the combination of maple syrup and coconut milk is just fabulous!
This looks wonderful. I’ve never actually had a bread pudding before. I think I’ll start with this one. I love the use of coconut milk.
I made this on Saturday night – such a hit. Esp when topped with vanilla bean ice cream. I used all cow’s milk (as I forgot to grab coconut milk). Does coconut milk change it much? I notice you use it often in your recipes, and am just wondering for next time… because there will be a next time. My fam thanks you!!
Hi Alison, glad you liked it! I use coconut milk a lot because I”m lactose intolerant so I”m always trying to make non-dairy versions of things. But I’m glad this worked out with regular milk. I would say that the coconut milk might add more richness because it has more fat than regular milk (kind of like the difference of heavy cream vs. milk). It also has a slightly sweet coconut flavor which I know some people don’t like but I really love.
I made this for breakfast on Sunday and it was delicious! I’ve made a somewhat similar bread pudding before, so I went ahead and made it the night before and it turned out great.
Hi Kara, thanks for sharing, glad to know it works to make it ahead the day before!
Now I know what I’ll be making with my leftover challah. Saturday morning breakfast anyone?
Looks delicious, the batter sounds divine!
gorgeous, gorgeous. Bread pudding completes me. The pumpkin must make it so silky.
I’ve been planning to make a pumpkin pie with kabocha squash, coconut milk, and garam masala — I think I’m going to have to make this bread pudding instead. Or maybe in addition to. Love your recipes and photos!
Look very delicious! I like it! I really want make it now! The instructions in your post really useful with me! Thanks for sharing!
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brilliant! thank you. i AM going to try this before turkey day!!
YUM. is this something you could prep a night ahead? leave in the frig until you’re ready to bake the next day? or is it best to make and bake straight away?
I want to say yes… but I didn’t actually try that myself so I don’t know if the bread would soak too much and dry out. But what I DID do was mix the filling, minus the eggs, and let that sit in the fridge for a few days until I was ready to use it. Then it took me only a few minutes to whisk in the eggs and then mix with the bread. I let that sit in the fridge for a few hours and popped it in the oven after dinner, when we were ready for dessert.
I often find that the best ideas come to me in dreams – I’m so glad you had a dream about this; it looks incredible.
This sounds incredible! I love a good, warm, bread pudding!
Now here is a pumpkin recipe I haven’t seen yet… yum!
This looks absolutely amazing. Bookmarking for holiday happiness. 🙂
This looks amazing. Pinning for later 🙂
This is definitely a droll-over dish. After a long haitus, I was finally back in Austin for a week and no longer had to droll from Chicago. The food that comes out of Jeanine’s kitchen tastes even better than it looks – if that’s possible! This bread pudding was heaven on a spoon. I’m back in Chicago and putting together my grocery list so I can share this wonderful dish with family and friends.
This sounds amazing and the photos are beautiful. I have to find some gluten-free bread to make this with, it’s totally making me drool at my desk right now 😉
This sounds so lovely!